You have to go all the way back to March 2015 to find a weekend where all four of Ireland’s professional rugby teams lost. Add in the women’s national team’s surprising loss to Scotland in their Six Nations finale, and you’ve got yourself a difficult weekend for Irish rugby. The aftermath leaves Connacht, Munster, and Ulster all floundering outside the top eight of the URC, desperately paddling upstream with just two games remaining. Even more concerning, they’re all currently outside European Cup qualification for next season. This potential European exile is particularly galling considering Ireland boasts four of the competition’s best-resourced teams. Connacht are getting a…

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